Oman sees 14% rise in airport passengers

Airport passenger traffic in Oman rose by 14 percent during the first nine months of 2001 compared to the same period last year, aviation chiefs announced on Friday. Statistics issued by the Air Transport Department at the Civil Aviation Affairs showed that total passenger traffic through Muscat International Airport grew to 4,794,152, over 500,000 more than in January to September 2010. Arrivals increased by 17 percent while departures rose by 14 percent, a statement said. It added that the increase was attributed to the growth in flights operated by the likes of Oman Air, flydubai, Iran Aseman Airlines and Air India Express. In terms of air cargo, Muscat International Airport saw an increase of two percent with total cargo at 73,551 tonnes compared to 71,916 tonnes in the same period in 2010. The statistics also showed that Salalah Airport witnessed an increase of 14 percent in passengers to 384,601 while freight traffic recorded a two percent increase.